Oxygen-furnace-lining apparatus

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed an apparatus for use in lining basic oxygen furnaces. Refractory blocks are carried by a conveyor to an automatic loader that transfers the blocks one by one to successive flights on a vertically traveling endless conveyor. This conveyor is carried in a cage that is vertically movable in a supporting frame, and the frame may be moved from one furnace to another. There is a foldable and collapsible unloading platform rotatably suspended from the bottom of the conveyor cage, and a receiving conveyor above the platform receives blocks from the flight conveyor and carries them radially to the wall in which they are to be placed, distributing them around the furnace as the platform rotates. The radial conveyor may also discharge blocks downwardly for first lining the bottom of the furnace; collapsing and folding arrangements provide for accommodating the apparatus to operation at the bottom of the furnace and to the restricted upper end of the furnace, as well as the eventual withdrawal from a furnace after the lining is completed and for entrance into a furnace to be relined.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Robert Munroe I04 Amblelirh Drive, Ito- Township, Allegheny Cmnty, Pa. 15237 (21] AppLNo. 80l,4l6

[22] Filed [45] Patented [54 1 0X YGEN-FURNACE-LINING APPARATUS m. 24, I969 Aug.24,l91l

8 Clllms, l0 Drawlngllp.

[51] Ill. [$0] FlelrlolSenr-ch l5, lSD; l98/75, 26,1,93, 96,10l

6/l959 Keesling 5/l962 Abarotin et al.... 11/1966 Puxkandl et al. 4/1969 Park et 9ll969 Bocchietti Reference Cled UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Jerold M. Forsberg Attorney-Parmelee, Utzler 8t Welsh ABSTRACT: There is disclosed an apparatus for use in lining basic oxygen furnaces. Refractory blocks are carried by a conveyor to an automatic loader that transfers the blocks one by one to successive flights on a vertically traveling endless conveyor. This conveyor is carried in a cage that is vertically movable in a supporting frame, and the frame may be moved from one furnace to another. There is a foldable and collapsible unloading platform rotatably suspended from the bottom of the conveyor cage, and a receiving conveyor above the platform receives blocks from the flight conveyor and carries them radially to the wall in which they are to be placed, distributing them around the furnace as the platform rotates, The radial conveyor may also discharge blocks downwardly for first lining the bottom of the furnace; collapsing and folding arrangements provide for accommodating the apparatus to operation at the bottom of the furnace and to the restricted upper end of the furnace, as well as the eventual withdrawal from a furnace after the lining is completed and for entrance into a furnace to be relinedr PATENTEmuszmsn 3,601,245 sum 2 BF 7 INVENTOR. Robert Munroe.

A ttornays.

PATENTED M1824 I97I SHEU '4 BF 7 INVENTOR. Robert Munroe.

A ttomegs OXYGEN-FURNACE-LINING APPARATUS This invention is for a material-handling apparatus, and more particularly it is for an apparatus for use in relining basic oxygen furnaces, but it may be used for other purposes where bricks or blocks are lowered into a circular enclosure in which they are to be placed, and similar operations.

The invention will be herein described with particular reference to the lining of a basic oxygen furnace. Such fur naces comprise a normally vertical metal shell of cylindrical section. They have a concaved bottom, and the upper end portion tapers inwardly toward an opening at the top of the shell substantially smaller than the diameter of the shell between the tapered top and the bottom. This shell in turn is lined with a refractory lining which may comprise inner and outer walls of different composition. The lining is a so-called brick lining, but actually the bricks are performed blocks of different sizes, many of which may be too heavy to be easily lifted by a single man. The lining deteriorates in use, and after several heats, the old lining must be removed and the furnace relined.

Lining or relining such a furnace is a laborious task. Typically such a furnace may be of the order of 35 feet in height and the diameter may be roughly a half or more of the height. The lining must first be installed over the bottom and then be built up the sides in courses, requiring some form of vertically movable scaffolding for the workmen as the lining becomes progressively higher with the laying of each course of blocks. The blocks or bricks must be lowered into the furnace as needed and be convenient to the workmen as they work around the circular interior of the enclosure. The downtime of the furnace limits steel production, so that the work must progress rapidly and the efficient use of the time of the workmen is important to the economy of the plant.

Various structures have heretofore been devised for this purpose, but have not been entirely adequate because of various shortcomings, and the present invention provides an improvement in such equipment whereby the lowering of the blocks into the enclosure is facilitated, and wherein the distribution of the blocks at the lower end of the apparatus is such that little lifting of the blocks is required in placing them in position. An improved platform provides a safe scaffold on which the workmen stand, and this platform and all conveying equipment can be folded or retracted to accommodate the entrance and removal of the apparatus through the restricted opening of the furnace. These and other objects and advantages are secured by the invention.

In general, the invention comprises a supporting structure that may be carried by a crane from one position to another so that it is out of the way when not in use and used in different furnaces, as may be required, since one shop will usually have two or more furnaces.

There is a vertical cage which telescopes into the bottom of this supporting structure so that it may be lowered into the furnace and raised as work progresses, and eventually retracted to a position where the crane may lift it to a level entirely clear of the top of the furnace.

There is a platform structure rotatably suspended from the lower end of the cage for rotation about the vertical axis of the cage and which may be extended to a full working diameter of the furnace, but with removable panels which are supported on struts that may be retracted and folded to pass through the restricted open top.

There is an endless flight conveyor for lowering blocks from a service floor to a level just a convenient working height above the platform, and it discharges the blocks onto a radial conveyor positioned on the rotatable platform at a convenient working level for carrying the b cks to roller tables at its outer end of the conveyor where workmen may readily move them into position in the furnace wall. This radial conveyor is adjustable to various inclinations from a normal horizontal plane.

There is a feeder on the supporting structure comprising a conveyor on which the blocks move toward the endless flight conveyor onto an apron at its discharge end. A star wheel arrangement, rotated by the flights on the endless flight conveyor, effects the discharge of the blocks one at a time from the apron into successive downwardly traveling flights of the vertical endless conveyor.

In the drawings disclosing a preferred embodiment of my invention:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic side elevation of the apparatus shown in position in a basic oxygen furnace wherein the furnace is also schematically outlined and dotted lines show various levels and operating positions of the lower end of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an elevation at right angles to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the block feeder;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the embodiment of the apparatus with the radial conveyor in side elevation;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, the view showing a portion of the platform extending to its full diameter, the section being at approximately the plane ofline VI-Vl of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but in the plane of line VII-VII and the platform is omitted, and with parts broken away to better show the platform rotating means;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7 but with a part of the mechanism shown in section to show the platfon'n drive.

FIG. 9 is a horizontal section substantially in the plane of line IX-IX of FIG. 5 with parts ofthe structure omitted showing the radial conveyor above the platform but with roll and ball extensions attached thereto; and

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown more or less schematically a typical basic oxygen furnace with a concave bottom 3 and an upper portion 4 that tapers inwardly to a top opening 5 which is of substantially smaller diameter than the main cylindrical body of the furnace, designated 6. As is well known in the art, the furnace comprises an outer metal shell with a refractory lining. The usual trunnions for supporting the furnace for tilting movement are not disclosed.

Also referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 7 designates the usual service floor adjacent the furnace. So much of the apparatus that has been disclosed is commonly provided in the basic oxygen plant and is here illustrated simply for the purpose of describing the environment in which the present invention is used.

The present invention comprises a main supporting structure 10 which is more or less custom designed for use in the particular shop in which the apparatus is to be used, but essentially and as here shown, it has four vertical columns 11 with a top structure 12 with means 13 at the top by which it may be lifted by a crane hook 14 for movement from one furnace to another or to a storage position when the use of the apparatus is not required. Within the supporting structure are four vertical rails 15 forming a guideway for a cage presently to be described which is movable vertically in the supporting structure. As here shown in FIG. 2 there is a platform or cat walk provided at 16 which is designed to be brought into a position level with the service floor 7, but in the remaining views this has not been shown. The lower ends of the guide rails 15 extend down below the platform 16 and support a sheet metal hood l7 which projects over the opening 5 of the furnace when the apparatus is in use to prevent bricks or other objects from falling down into the furnace and possible injuring the workmen within the furnace. The supporting frame; being vertically elongated is designed to extend above the top of the exhaust hood over the furnace, which is indicated in broken lines in FIG. I and suspended from above the hood without support from the furnace although its lower end is close to the level of the top of the hood.

There is a cage designated generally as 18 slidable in guide rails 15 for vertical movement relative to the supporting structure and in FIGS. 1 and 2 this cage is shown extended to its lowermost limit at which it can operate with the platform ex tended but as hereinafter described it may be lowered to the respective dotted line position with the platform removed and the supports collapsed for working close to the bottom of the furnace. A motor-driven winch arrangement 19 is provided in the upper part of the supporting structure 10 for raising and lowering of the cage 18 by means of cables.

The cage 18 has a conveyor belt top roller 20 (see FIG. 1) at its upper end which is driven by a motor 21 and sprocket chain 22 (see FIG. 2). Referring again to FIG 1 there is a similar roller 21a in the lower end of the cage. An endless conveyor 23 passes around the rollers 20 and 210 with the parallel reaches of the conveyor located inside the cage. The conveyor has bucketlike flights 24 at regularly spaced intervals thereon and these bucketlike flights open upwardly on the descending reach of the conveyor belt, and these are shown in this position in FIG. 4 where the downwardly moving reach of the conveyor is indicated by the arrow. Each bucket has an outwardly extending wall 25 which is notched as best seen in FIG. 3. This conveyor with the flights is used to lower the bricks or refractory blocks from the level of the service floor down to the workmen inside the furnace.

For feeding the blocks into the conveyor flights successively one at a time, there is a roller conveyor unit mounted on a floor structure carried by supports 32 extending from one side of the supporting frame as shown in FIG. 1. This conveyor is inclined downwardly from the high end shown at the right in FIG. 4 toward the flight conveyor 23 and the rollers are of a width adequate to receive blocks of the maximum length that may be used in the furnace lining, these perhaps being of the order of 30 inches. At the lower or discharge end of the roller conveyor, there is an apron 33 which is also inclined downwardly toward the conveyor 23 with downwardly sloped fingers 34 thereon that extend into the path of travel of the descending flights 24 but which are staggered so as to pass through the notches in the outwardly sloping wall 25 of the flights 14. This arrangement is such that the flights may pass down with the finger 34 extending through the notches in the edges of the flights as they descend.

There is a rotatable shaft 36 carried in bearing blocks 37 on the supporting structure 31 and on this shaft there is a series of spaced star wheels or tumstilelike arrangement designated generally as 38, there being four vanes or arms on each star wheel spaced 90 from each other. The vanes 38 of the star wheels have terminals 39 that are so shaped as to substantially coincide with the slope of the apron 33 when the vanes are in an upright position as shown in FIG. 4, and they are of sufi' cient length that they pass through slots 39 in the apron 33 and between fingers 34 of the front edge of the apron. They are also of sufficient length that they will be successively engaged by the bottoms of the descending flights 24 on the conveyor 23.

As best shown in FIG. 4 the blocks designated generally as B are loaded onto the roller conveyor 30 from the service floor and are carried by gravity to the lowermost end of the roller conveyor. From there each block is pushed and urged by succeeding blocks onto the apron 33. The star wheels are so located with respect to the flights on conveyor 23 that when one vane of each of the star wheels that is in position to be contacted by the bottom of a flight 24, the next succeeding vane will be just about flush with the surface of the apron 33. As each flight 24 moves down it will rotate the star wheels 90 causing the vanes which are upright to be carried on an arc under that block which is at the outermost end of the apron and which is lodged against a little lip 40 at the depending edge of the slotted apron. This action will flip the block over onto the fingers 34 and they will slide down these fingers into the bucket 24just at a time when the open top of the bucket or flight 24 is clear of and below the fingers 34. In FIG. 4 the lower flight 24 shows a manner in which the brick or block will lodge in the bucketlike flight. As each flight in turn receives its brick and continues on down, it will continue to rotate the star wheels until the vanes of the star wheels moving in an arc are clear of the path of the bucket. The total movement of each vane will be through an arc of so that as one vane clears one bucket, the vane which has previously flipped the block will then be extending toward the conveyor 23 to be engaged by the next bucket.

With this arrangement the star wheels provide a feeder for transferring the blocks one-by-one into the descending conveyor flights as each in turn passes the fingers 34.

When the flights 24 pass around the lower roller 210 the blocks will be dumped from the flight conveyor and fall onto a radial conveyor arrangement to be hereinafter described. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 there is a fixed ring 45 carried on struts 46 extending radially from a frame structure 47 around the lower end of the cage 18. This ring has a number of hear ing blocks 47 secured thereto on its top surface for supporting a series of rollers 48. There is a rotatable ring 49 concentric with the fixed ring 45 having an inwardly turned flange that rests on the rollers 48. The rollers 48 thereby provide a low friction rolling support for the movable ring 49. Fixed to the side of the cage there is a motor schematically illustrated at 50 which drives a reducing gear 5] for rotating the ring 49 relative to the cage at a predetermined speed. As here shown the reducing gear 51 drives a shaft 52 on which is a pinion 53 for engaging a friction surface or rack 54 on the top surface of the ring 49. The pinion 53 and rack 54 are here illustrated as a friction pinion and friction rack but a gear toothed pinion and annular gear rack may be substituted. There is a rigid shell or housing 60 attached to and depending from the ring 49 and which is best seen in FIG. 5. This housing, which forms an annular enclosure about the rollers 48, extends downwardly to a platform-supporting ring 61, providing a suspension for the supporting ring 61 and an enclosure for the radial conveyor to be hereinafter described, this enclosure, however, being open at one side as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 5.

Secured to the ring 61 are cars 63 to which are pivotally attached tubular arms 64 that may extend radially out from the ring 61 as shown at the right in FIG. 5, or may be raised to a folded vertical position as shown at the left of this figure. There are a number of these tubular arms equally spaced from one another around the ring 61, there being 12 of them in all. Each of these arms has an eye 65 at its outer end to which is attached a chain 66 for holding the arms horizontal when the apparatus is in use, but which enables the arms to be swung vertically upward when the apparatus is to be withdrawn or in sorted into the top opening of the furnace. The chains 66 are so attached to each arm, except that for that arm which is at the center position in front of opening 62 where, as shown in FIG. 6, the eye 65 has a crossbar 67 attached thereto, and the chains 66 are attached to opposite ends of this arm. This leaves the chains 66 in this location clear of the opening 62 in the housing for the delivery of bricks as hereinafter described.

Segment-shaped grating panels 68 with angle bars 69 along their radial edges rest on the radial tubular arms 64. Each grating panel tends to wedge itself between the tubular arms so that when all the panels have been placed between each two arms around the structure, all of the panels will be firm and solidly held in position between the arms. When the structure is to be removed from the furnace, these panels are lifted out of the furnace before the arms 64 are folded up into a substantially vertical position.

There is a tubular extension 70 that is telescopically fitted into each of the arms 69. In use they extend out to the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and are locked in place by a remova ble pin 71 attached to a chain 72 on the outer end of each arm, the chain being provided only to keep the pin available at all times. When the arms 69 are raised to a vertical position the extension sections 70 telescope into the arms 64. They also are telescoped inwardly when working in the restricted upper end of the furnace.

Segmental grating sections or panels 73 are set on these extensions 70in the same manner that panels 68 are set between the arms 64.

In FIG. 5 at the left side of the view, one of the arms 64 is shown in the folded position with the extension 70 telescoped into it and with the pin 71 then used to hold the extension 70 in its retracted position, and a retaining element 74 is entered into the outer end of the tube 70 to latch it in the vertical position.

There is a belt conveyor structure, designated generally as 80, within the enclosure 60 and pivotally supported therein at one end, the pivot being indicated at 800, this pivot being near the rear end of the conveyor. This conveyor is spaced below the roller 23 at the lower end of the vertical flight conveyor as shown in FIG. sufficiently below the roller 210 so that the flights 24 are carried by the belt around this roller clear of the conveyor 80. The blocks in the conveyor flights fall from the bucketlike flights onto the conveyor belt 81. This belt passes around the rollers 82 at opposite ends of the structure 80. As shown in FIG. 5, there are rollers 83 under the upper reach of the conveyor diametrically extending belt to support the weight of the blocks as they drop onto the belt 81. A motor for driving this belt 81 is indicated at 84. At the forward end of the conveyor 80 there are two links 85 pivoted to the structure 59 at 86, one at each side of the conveyor structure 80. Each of the links 85 has a ratchetlike stepped slot 87 therein. Pins )l'l the side of the structure 80 at 88 may selectively be engaged against one of the steps in the slots 87 so that the belt :onveyor may be held in a horizontal position or may be tilted 0 various angles downwardly, depending on the work that is icing done. For example, as indicated in FIG. I, the conveyor it] may be tilted downwardly to discharge blocks close to the :oncave bottom when the bottom of the furnace is being lined, ind then raised to a less steep inclination, and finally to a lorizontal position when the sidewalls of the furnace are being ined.

The conveyor belt 81 must be the full width of the vertical light conveyor in that area which is located under the flight onveyor but, forwardly of the flight conveyor, there are uides 90 as shown in FIG. 9, which narrow the effective width f the conveyor toward the discharge end. There is a detachale roller conveyor 91 hinged at 92 to the forward end of the onveyor structure 80. Its outer end is adjustably supported on vertically adjustable support 92 that sets on one of the gratig panels forming a scaffoldlike platform previously escribed. At the outer end of the roller conveyor 9! there is :movably attached a ball transfer table 93. Extending diver- :ntly from the outer end of the ball transfer table are two ther ball transfer tables 94 and 95, and the outer ends of lese comprise platforms 96 and 97 respectively, and each is rovided with a wheel or caster 98 which, as shown in FIG. [0,

ay ride on the previously laid courses of brick.

With this arrangement the blocks as they discharge from the ghts of the vertical belt conveyor fall onto the belt conveyor l and are carried in a radial direction onto the roller con- :yor 91 along which they gravitate, moving onto the ball ansfer table 93 from which they may be alternately directed one of two brick layers onto the ball transfer tables 94 and F. As this is occurring the motor 50 operates through the ducing gear 51 to rotate the ring 49 beneath the vertical ght conveyor, at the same time rotating the entire platform iembly, so that the bricklayers on the platform are carried twly around as they place the bricks in position. One of two icklayers may place the bricks in the outer course and other place the bricks in the inner course. When a course of ick has been completed, one bricklayer, by operation of a ntrol (not shown) can operate the winch 19 to lift the entire ge 18 the height of one course, and the operation is reated. When the wall has been built up the full cylindrical tght of the furnace to the level where the taper 2 starts, then 2 outer grating panels 73 are removed from extensions 70 1 they are telescoped back into the arms 64. Also at this 1e the outer roller transfer table sections 93, 94 and 95 may detached from the roller conveyor 91, and the bricklayers y then continue to develop the inwardly sloping walls in this tion of the furnace. The structure may be carried up into the tapered inner part sufficiently high to enable the bricklayers to complete the top of the furnace, after which the cage may be lowered, the grating panels over the 2mm 69 removed, and these anns folded up to vertical position. If the roller table 91 has not previously been detached, it, too, is removed. The arms 64 are swung into the vertical position shown at the left of FIG. 5 and the entire cage is retracted into the supporting frame 11 and the crane may then lift the apparatus entirely clear of the furnace and carry it to a storage station or to the next furnace to be relined.

In the operation of the apparatus, it is brought to position over the open top of the furnace with all of the grating panels removed and the supporting struts 64-70 raised and held in position shown at the left side of FIG. 5. At this time, it may be assumed all of the old lining has been removed from the furnace and there remains only the metal shell. The crane first lowers the bottom of the apparatus through the top of the furnace. Normally at this point the supporting structure 10 is temporarily bolted to some fixed structures (not shown) in the building so as to free the crane while the lining is being installed. The cage with the vertical flight conveyor is then lowered into the furnace to the lowermost position indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1. The conveyor unit 80 is then lowered to the angle also indicated in dotted lines where its lower end passes through the open central area of the platform inside the ring 61. The blocks which fall from the vertical flight conveyor are then discharged from the conveyor 80 close to the center of the furnace bottom, and the operator (with the control panel, not shown) can rotate the lower part of the structure to change the direction in which the blocks are delivered. This operation is indicated in the lower dotted line position in FIG. 1. After the blocks have been laid in the center area they are next laid further out from the center. The tilt of the conveyor unit 80 is changed to then raise its discharge end above the ring 63 and the roller conveyor unit 91 can then be attached to it and the blocks will be discharged further out toward the periphery of the furnace. This is indicated by the upper dotted line position in FIG. 1.

In the next position the cage is raised to about the lowest level at which the courses are to be laid around the full diame ter of the sidewalls. Then the struts 64-70 are opened out and the grating panels are put in place to provide a scaffold on which the workmen can operate, and the blocks will be delivered to the workmen or bricklayers as above described while the whole platform revolves slowly around the interior of the furnace. of course, as the platform revolves the conveyor unit 80, the roller table 91, and the ball transfer tables 93, 94 and 95 rotate with the scaffold so that the blocks are always delivered quite close to the location where they are to be placed. If there are two courses of brick, one bricklayer may lay the outer course and the other bricklayer may lay the inner course, so that each of the courses progressively develop as the platform turns. As previously explained, when one course is completed, the cage is raised and the casters 98 then roll on the course previously laid. It may be that the laying of the blocks will take place so that the outside of the lining is being laid at one course higher than the inner course. In this event, the hinge connection between the ball transfer table 93 and the transfer tables 94 and 95 may enable these tables to be at different angles.

It will be seen that starting with the pans shown in FIG. 9,

" the blocks will be discharged onto the conveyor belt Bl of the unit with their length crosswise of the belt conveyor, whereas they are to be delivered to the workmen in a direction at right angles to this. The converging guides will effect a turning movement of the blocks, and this turning movement can be accelerated by the provision of an arm 90' extending laterally from one side of the conveyor frame over the belt conveyor 81 at a height sufficient to clear the tops of the blocks, but with a depending terminal against which one end of the block moving along with the conveyor will strike so that the block in effect is pivoted on the conveyor so that its length is generally parallel to its direction of travel.

All motors, including motor 84, motor 51, motor 21 and the winch 19 can be controlled from the level of the platform so that the speed of rotation of the platform, the speed of belt conveyor 81 of unit 80, the speed of the flight conveyor 24, and the elevation of the platform can be controlled from the level of the platform and correlated to one another by the operator. Because of the size of the structure and for clarity of illustration, the figures must be regarded as illustrative and not entirely complete as to every detail in each figure, but they fully illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

1 claim:

1. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steel making furnaces and like cylindrical structures comprising:

a. a vertically elongated supporting frame designed to extend above the hood of a furnace over which it is positioned to be relined and suspended from above the furnace independently of the furnace,

. a cage movable vertically in the supporting frame from an upper retracted position when its upper end is near the top of the supporting frame to a lower extended position when the lower end projects to a maximum extent below the bottom of the supported frame,

c. means in the supporting frame connected to the cage for raising and lowering the cage,

. an endless flight conveyor within the cage extending between upper and lower rollers, with driving means therefor,

e. a scafiold structure fixed on and carried by the lower end of the cage arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane,

f. means for rotating the scaffold structure,

g. a diametrically extending receiving conveyor on the scaffold structure located beneath the lower end of the flight conveyor arranged to receive furnace-lining blocks from the flight conveyor carry them radially from beneath the conveyor,

. means for driving said last-named conveyor, and

. means in the path of travel of blocks on said last-named conveyor for turning elongated blocks which are discharged crosswise onto it from the flight conveyor in a lengthwise direction.

2. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces and like cylindrical structures comprising:

a. a vertically elongated supporting frame,

b. a cage movable vertically in the supporting frame from an upper retracted position when its upper end is near the top of the supporting frame to a lower extended position when the lower end projects to a maximum extent below the bottom of the supporting frame,

c. means in the supporting frame connected to the cage for raising and lowering the cage,

d. an endless flight conveyor within the cage extending between upper and lower rollers, with driving means therefor,

e. a scaffold structure fixed on and carried by the lower end of the cage arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane, means for rotating the scaffold structure,

. a diametrically extending receiving conveyor on the scaffold structure located beneath the lower end of the flight conveyor arranged to receive furnace lining blocks from the flight conveyor and carry them radially from beneath the conveyor,

h. means for driving said last-named conveyor, said receiving conveyor having one end pivoted to the scaffold structure at one side of the axis of rotation of the scaffold and its other end at the opposite side of the axis of rotation supported for adjustment in a vertical arc whereby the inclination of the receiving conveyor may be adjusted.

3. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces as defined in claim 2 wherein said scaffold has an open central area and said last-named conveyor is tiltable to an angle where its end passes through said open center.

4. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces as defined in claim I wherein there is a feed conveyor on the supporting structure having a discharge end, and a feed means at the discharge end for transferring blocks in succession oneby-one from the feed conveyor into successive flights of the flight conveyor, said means being actuated by movement of the flight conveyor past said feed means.

5. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnace and like cylindrical structures comprising:

a. a vertically elongated supporting frame,

b. a cage movable vertically in the supporting frame from an upper retracted position when its upper end is near the top of the supporting frame to a lower extended position when the lower end projects to a maximum extent below the bottom of the supporting frame,

c. means in the supporting frame connected to the cage for raising and lowering the cage,

d, an endless flight conveyor within the cage extending between upper and lower rollers, with driving means therefor,

e. a scaffold structure fixed on and carried by the lower end of the cage arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane,

f. means for rotating the scaffold structure,

g. a receiving conveyor on the scaffold structure for rotation with the scaflold structure located beneath the lower end of the flight conveyor arranged to receive furnace lining blocks from the flight conveyor and carry them radially from beneath the flight conveyor, and

it. means for driving said last-named conveyor, the scaffold comprising a structure rotatably carried on rollers at the lower end of the cage, the rotatable structure having spaced tubular arms extending radially therefrom and hinged thereto in such manner that they can be swung from a horizontally extending position to a vertical position, and segments of flooring removably carried on said arms when they are in the horizontal position, each of said tubular arms having a tubular extension section telescopically fitted therein, and other floor panels removably supported on said extension sections when said sections are extended radially outward from the respective arms in which they telescope.

6. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces comprising:

a. a vertically elongated supporting frame,

In. a vertically elongated cage adjustable up and down in the supporting frame,

c. a vertically traveling flight conveyor mounted in the cage for lowering blocks into a work area, a scaffold structure rotatably carried at the lower end of said cage with conveyor means on the scaffold structure at the bottom of the cage extending under the lower end of the flight conveyor arranged to receive blocks from the flight conveyor and transfer them to a work area, and means for feeding blocks to the flight conveyor in timed relation to the travel of the flight conveyor irrespective of the relative vertical position of the cage in the supporting frame, said means comprising: 1, a feed conveyor on the support for transferring blocks from a receiving end to a discharge end, 2. a transfer apron at the discharge end of the feed conveyor, and 3. means projecting into the path of downwardly moving conveyor flights arranged to engage each block on the transfer apron and effect its movement into a conveyor flight and thereby transfer blocks in succession to the succession of moving conveyor flights.

7. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces as defined in claim 6 wherein said last-named means comprises a star wheel structure having vanes of equal length radiating therefrom which are separated by equally spaced arcs, said star wheel structure being so placed that when one vane projects into a path under a downcoming conveyor flight, another is operatively projecting through the transfer apron, whereby a downwardly moving conveyor flight moves the vane in its path of travel downwardly to rotate the star wheel structure and move that vane which projects through the apron to effect movement of a block on the apron into a conveyor flight and then with further rotation move it into the path of a succeeding conveyor flight while still another vane is brought to position where its outer end passes through the apron into block-moving position, and the rotation stopped when the vanes which had been last moved down by the conveyor flight is clear of such flight.

8. The combination with a vertically traveling flight conveyor having bucketlike flights with notched front sidewalls that slope upwardly and outwardly from the plane of the downtraveling reach of the conveyor, of a means for deliver ing blocks one-by-one from a feed conveyor into successive conveyor flights, comprising:

a. a downwardly sloped slotted transfer apron at the end of the feed conveyor onto which the blocks move from said conveyor, said apron having fingers projecting into the path of the conveyor flight, but so positioned that the notches in the front sidewalls of the flights clear the fingers of the apron,

b. a turnstilelike arrangement so positioned beneath the apron that the vanes of the turnstile may move when the turnstile is rotated through the slotted apron and between the fingers thereon in such manner as to flip over a block on the apron onto the fingers from whence it may slide into a passing conveyor flight and then move to a position where they will be in the path of travel of the next downwardly moving conveyor flight, whereby the turnstile is intermittently rotated by the downwardly traveling flights and each block in turn is flipped from the apron onto the fingers and into a passing buckets 

1. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steel making furnaces and like cylindrical structures comprising: a. a vertically elongated supporting frame designed to extend above the hood of a furnace over which it is positioned to be relined and suspended from above the furnace independently of the furnace, b. a cage movable vertically in the supporting frame from an upper retracted position when its upper end is near the top of the supporting frame to a lower extended position when the lower end projects to a maximum extent below the bottom of the supported frame, c. means in the supporting frame connected to the cage for raising and lowering the cage, d. an endless flight conveyor within the cage extending between upper and lower rollers, with driving means therefor, e. a scaffold structure fixed on and carried by the lower end of the cage arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane, f. means for rotating the scaffold structure, g. a diametrically extending receiving conveyor on the scaffold structure located beneath the lower end of the flight conveyor arranged to receive furnace-lining blocks from the flight conveyor carry them radially from beneath the conveyor, h. means for driving said last-named conveyor, and i. means in the path of travel of blocks on said last-named conveyor for turning elongated blocks which are discharged crosswise onto it from the flight conveyor in a lengthwise direction.
 2. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces and like cylindrical structures comprising: a. a vertically elongated supporting frame, b. a cage movable vertically in the supporting frame from an upper retracted position when its upper end is near the top of the supporting frame to a lower extended position when the lower end projects to a maximum extent below the bottom of the supporting frame, c. means in the supporting frame connected to the cage for raising and lowering the cage, d. an endless flight conveyor within the cage extending between upper and lower rollers, with driving means therefor, e. a scaffold structure fixed on and carried by the lower end of the cage arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane, f. means for rotating the scaffold structure, g. a diametrically extending receiving conveyor on the scaffold structure located beneath the lower end of the flight conveyor arranged to receive furnace lining blocks from the flight conveyor and carry them radially from beneath the conveyor, h. means for driving said last-named conveyor, said receiving conveyor having one end pivoted to the scaffold structure at one side of the axis of rotation of the scaffold and its other end at the opposite side of the axis of rotation supported for adjustment in a vertical arc whereby the inclination of the receiving conveyor may be adjusted.
 2. a transfer apron at the discharge end of the feed conveyor, and
 3. means projecting into the path of downwardly moving conveyor flights arranged to engage each block on the transfer apron and effect its movement into a conveyor flight and thereby transfer blocks in succession to the succession of moving conveyor flights.
 3. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces as defined in claim 2 wherein said scaffold has an open central area and said last-named conveyor is tiltable to an angle where its end passes through said open center.
 4. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces as defined in claim 1 wherein there is a feed conveyor on the supporting structure having a discharge end, and a feed means at the discharge end for transferring blocks in succession one-by-one from the feed conveyor into successive flights of the flight conveyor, said means being actuated by movement of the flight conveyor past said feed means.
 5. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnace and like cylindrical structures comprising: a. a vertically elongated supporting frame, b. a cage movable vertically in the supporting frame frOm an upper retracted position when its upper end is near the top of the supporting frame to a lower extended position when the lower end projects to a maximum extent below the bottom of the supporting frame, c. means in the supporting frame connected to the cage for raising and lowering the cage, d. an endless flight conveyor within the cage extending between upper and lower rollers, with driving means therefor, e. a scaffold structure fixed on and carried by the lower end of the cage arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane, f. means for rotating the scaffold structure, g. a receiving conveyor on the scaffold structure for rotation with the scaffold structure located beneath the lower end of the flight conveyor arranged to receive furnace lining blocks from the flight conveyor and carry them radially from beneath the flight conveyor, and h. means for driving said last-named conveyor, the scaffold comprising a structure rotatably carried on rollers at the lower end of the cage, the rotatable structure having spaced tubular arms extending radially therefrom and hinged thereto in such manner that they can be swung from a horizontally extending position to a vertical position, and segments of flooring removably carried on said arms when they are in the horizontal position, each of said tubular arms having a tubular extension section telescopically fitted therein, and other floor panels removably supported on said extension sections when said sections are extended radially outward from the respective arms in which they telescope.
 6. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces comprising: a. a vertically elongated supporting frame, b. a vertically elongated cage adjustable up and down in the supporting frame, c. a vertically traveling flight conveyor mounted in the cage for lowering blocks into a work area, d. a scaffold structure rotatably carried at the lower end of said cage with conveyor means on the scaffold structure at the bottom of the cage extending under the lower end of the flight conveyor arranged to receive blocks from the flight conveyor and transfer them to a work area, and e. means for feeding blocks to the flight conveyor in timed relation to the travel of the flight conveyor irrespective of the relative vertical position of the cage in the supporting frame, said means comprising:
 7. Apparatus for use in lining oxygen steelmaking furnaces as defined in claim 6 wherein said last-named means comprises a star wheel structure having vanes of equal length radiating therefrom which are separated by equally spaced arcs, said star wheel structure being so placed that when one vane projects into a path under a downcoming conveyor flight, another is operatively projecting through the transfer apron, whereby a downwardly moving conveyor flight moves the vane in its path of travel downwardly to rotate the star wheel structure and move that vane which projects through the apron to effect movement of a block on the apron into a conveyor flight and then with further rotation move it into the path of a succeeding conveyor flight while still another vane is brought to position where its outer end passes through the apron into block-moving position, and the rotation stopped when the vanes which had been last moved down by the conveyor flight is clear of such flight.
 8. The combination with a vertically traveling flight conveyor having bucketlike flights with notched front sidewalls that slope upwardly and outwardly from the plane of the downtraveLing reach of the conveyor, of a means for delivering blocks one-by-one from a feed conveyor into successive conveyor flights, comprising: a. a downwardly sloped slotted transfer apron at the end of the feed conveyor onto which the blocks move from said conveyor, said apron having fingers projecting into the path of the conveyor flight, but so positioned that the notches in the front sidewalls of the flights clear the fingers of the apron, b. a turnstilelike arrangement so positioned beneath the apron that the vanes of the turnstile may move when the turnstile is rotated through the slotted apron and between the fingers thereon in such manner as to flip over a block on the apron onto the fingers from whence it may slide into a passing conveyor flight and then move to a position where they will be in the path of travel of the next downwardly moving conveyor flight, whereby the turnstile is intermittently rotated by the downwardly traveling flights and each block in turn is flipped from the apron onto the fingers and into a passing bucket. 